Fifth-wheel



(No Model.) I ATSON.

FIFTH WHEEL.

,097. Patented Dec. 24,1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREIV J. VATSON, OF MARTINSVILLE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ISAAC FECI-IHEIMER, OF TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA.

FIFTH-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 418,097, dated December 24, 1889. Application filed October 12, 1889- Serial No. 326,800- (No model.)

To all whom it may 60716 mounted upon the axleQwhere it is secured by Be it known that I, ANDREW J. \VATSON, clips (which clips 0 also secure the coupling a citizen of the United States, residing at Marpart D) in an ordinary and well-known mantinsville, in the county of Morgan and State ner. In its upper surfaceis an annular groove 5 of Indiana, have invented certain new and surrounding an upward projection e, into useful Improvements in Fifth IVheels, of which groove an annular flange f on the part F which the following is a specification. fits. Said projection or boss 6 extends up My said invention relates to that class of through the partF and turns in a corresponddevices known as fifth-wheels used in the ing hole therein as the axle is moved on its is running-gear of vehicles; and it-consistsin pivot. On itsfront side is casta projection E, certain improvements in the construction of which is adapted to receive and support the the several parts, which render the device member-G of the tongue-support. This is a simple and inexpensive in construction, effimatter of considerable advantage, as it has cient and durable in operation, and convenusually been difficult to connect tongue-sup I5 ient for the attachment of other parts, which ports to fifth-wheels or axles satisfactorily,and are generally or may be used in connection by this construction such difliculties are entherewith, as will be hereinafter more partirely overcome. The preferableform of adaptticularly described and claimed. ing this projection to use is to form it with a Referring to the accompanying drawings, round hole extending down through it to re- 20 which are made a part hereof and on which ceive a corresponding tenon on the member of similar letters of reference indicate similar the tonguesupport, with a groove extending parts,Figure 1 is a top or plan view of so much across its top, into which a flange g on the of the running-gear of the vehicle as includes member of the tongue-support will extend, as all those parts to which the devices e1nbodyshown most plainly in Fig. 4. A nut g is 25 ing the invention are directly attached, the placed on the lower end of the part G and ends of the axles being broken off; Fig. 2, a holds it securely in place, and this is all the side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a central fastening required. vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, The upper part F of the fifth-wheel has a looking upwardly from the dotted line 3 3 in hole in its center, which passes over the pro- 0 Fig. 1; Fig. 4:, a detail front elevation of the jection or boss 6 011 the part E, and an annufiftlrwheel and immediately adjacent parts; lar flange f, which extends down into the corand Fig. 5, a view similar toa portion of Fig. responding groove formed in said part E.

3, but with the two parts of the fifthwheel This construction provides aplurality of bearseparated. ing-surfaces and renders the fifth-wheel very 35 I11 said drawings the portions marked A strong and durable, and the engagement of represent the front bolster of the vehicle; B, these parts with each other is such that even the reach; 0, the front axle; D D, the two should theking-bolt become lost or broken or parts of a reachcoupling connecting the displaced the parts would still remain toreach to the axle; E, the lower part of my gether, and the accidents which are common 40 improved fifth-wheel; F, the upper part thereupon the loss or breaking of the king-bolt are of, and G one member of a tongue-support. thus obviated. This part F has a brace por- The bolster A is of an ordinary and welltion F, which extends back and is bolted to known construction,and is connected (in the the reach B, preferably by the same bolts Z) 5 construction shown) by side bars A to the which secure the reach-coupling D thereto.

45 rear portion of the running-gear. The reach Said part F is secured to the bolsterA by clips 13 and axle O are or may be also of an ordia in an ordinary and well-known manner. nary construction, and the coupling D D is The top of said part F is extended into a not of my present invention. As shown, this plate or flange, as shown, which completely IOO coupling permits the axle to turn freely, and covers that portion of the part E upon which 50 the bolt K, passing through said coupling, is the said part F rests and protects it from also the kingbolt. sand and dirt, thus decreasing the wear and The lower part E of the fifth -wheel is increasing the durability of the device formed into a catch portion to engage with the other member, which is commonly attached to the cross-bar of the shafts, and its lower end passes down through a hole in the projection E, where it is secured bya nut, as hereinbefore described. This lower end is preferably in the form of a tenon, and the portion immediately above said tenon is prefer-f ably swelled out somewhat, as shown, to form a broader shoulder or bearing-surface than would otherwise be practicable. It is provided with a projection g which extends over the plate portion of the upper part F of the fifth-wheel, and thus, when used, serves to hold the two fifth-wheel parts together, and thus constitutes an additional safeguardagainst accident in case of breaking or displacement of the king-bolt. The shaft-support of which this member is a part forms the subject-matter of Letters Patent No. 393,946, dated December 4, 1888, which have already been issued upon my application, and will not, therefore, be further described herein.

Having thus fully described my said in vention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in a fifth-wheel, of the In the form shown it. is an upright bar, the upper end of which is part E, having an annular groove and a central projection or boss, and a seat which fits down over the upper side of the axle, a part F, attached to the bolster and havinga central flange adapted to fit over the projection on the part E and an annular flange adapted to fit into its groove, the top surface of which forms a plate or flange covering the lower part of the structure, and a brace F, cast in piece with the part Rand extending to the reach, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, in a fifth-wheel, of a part thereof attached to the axle, havinga projecting portion E, constructed, substantially as described, to serve as the support for a member of a shaft-support, and said shaftsupport member, substantially assetforth.

3. The combination of a fifth-Wheel composed of two parts and a shaft-support member attached to one of said parts and provided with a projection which overhangs the other, thus constituting a guard to prevent the separation of said two parts.

tThecombination of the bolster A, reach B, axle C, reach-coupling D D, fifth-wheel E F, constructed as described, and the king-bolt K, passing down through said bolster, fifthwheel, axle, and reach-coupling and holding them all together, substantially as shown and ANDREYV J. VATSON.

Witnesses:

N. A. WHITAKER, U. H. FARR. 

